Catch up from August 2015

Strange year for OH and myself 2016. The backend was not a success. November was ‘monthus horribilis’. December much the same. Summer was long and dry. Last 8-10 weeks dank, wet and I wonder how our doorbell lasted the course. Visitors both welcome and not so welcome. Draw a veil over this time perhaps.

Only recently have I had a chance to tidy up the garden. Darting out in little slots of time and gathering up leaves. Fettling the bird feeders. Now the blue tits and sparrows are back. Blackbirds competing the border. Magpies having a go at the fat balls. Now the garden looks more cared for. Even the blackberry got tamed long after it is usually done.

The ancient pineapple lily did well this August. Three good flowers. Even the old self seeded lavender put on a good show.

My mini beanery was a success. Lots of beans grew and enlarged. Very tasty they were.

The largest geranium still going strong at the end of September. It is under the conopy.

A small hardy fuchsia called Winstone Churchill growing in the narrow border next to the patio. Grown from a small plug plant.

A pretty cat came into the garden in August, followed by a ginger full Tom and a Tabby full Tom. They pestered her even though we later found she had been speyed. She ran off if I came out or rattled the door handle. Spent most of the time watching the bird feeders until most of the birds vanished. Gradually she got bolder. She came into the house in early October. Then I found a neighbour was also giving her food and shelter. She was a shared cat, and liked it that way. She was chipped. Owned by a near neighbour, they had missed her for 7 months. She later was killed by a car in the road. We were both very upset, as she had a sort of charisma. Part of the ‘monthus horribilis’

Her markings were very colourful. Today I saw another she cat very like her, run across the garden pursued by Mr Tabby. I think she was the one who jumped on Kitty’s back from behind and Kitty won the fight that followed.

Kitty with OH, who has not been at all well recently, he really fell for her. Very upset when she was killed.

Comments

Poor Kitty. They will run out into the road and so often it ends in disaster.She was a pretty little thing. and its not surprising your OH was upset.
Winston Churchill is a beauty. I thought it was a tender one and brought it in for couple of winters and only just found out its supposed to be hardy so now its in the ground and hoping for the best!
I love your pineapple lilly!
Sending you best wishes for a much better 2016!

Poor little cat, its worrying when they cross the roads but honestly don't know how one could stop them unless they are penned in or kept on a leash. I have given you a like for the lovely photographs....
Best Wishes for 2016....

She loved paddling away on that Teddy fleece Linclass. My neighbour, who lives on the ground floor in sheltered housing, next door, gives food and shelter to 3 older cats that come and go through her open window. So Kitty was a welcome addition to her little flock. Young and frisky, just over a year old. Smart and clever, but not clever enough to keep out of the way of cars. Cats like our garden for birds and shelter in the border and dappled sun to lounge in....they go to Elise for cossetting and cosy comfort in a very warm flat, in spite of the open window!

Thanks Steragram. Lovely little fuchsia. I wonder if it stays small? Seems strange to name a tiny hardy one after good old Winston. I thought it was going to big a big hunky one. I am very pleased with them.

Any news about the lady who moved to Shrewsbury from London? Please PM me if there is anything you know.

No Dorjac, nothing further - strange isn't it? Have you tried PM-ing her?

My Winston Churchill isn't tiny, its pretty much like any fairly vigorous one grown in a pot. What it will do next year in the ground we'll have to wait and see. Its supposed to get to about 60cm. Just discovered its not all that hardy after all and needs shelter from cold winds, which we get plenty of. Anyway it will have to take its chance now.

Sorry you've had such a 'horribilis' time, Dojac, and wish both you and your OH a much, much better 2016. Such a pity about the pretty little cat and I can imagine how upset you both were.

I have a couple of pelagoniums still flowering in my cold greenhouse but the cuttings I took don't look too promising. Not much chance to venture in the garden, non-stop heavy rain for the last few days and everything is very squidgy. Roll on spring-time :)

Your avatar cat,Stripes, is very much like Henry, the last of three cats that lasted over 30 years between them. One uninvited lodger. Then a runt from a big litter in a rough family. Then Henry, homed from a friend who did cat protection work. I was very upset when Henry had to be put down without warning. Decided no more cats, but they keep on coming! Thanks DD. I did wonder if anything more could go wrong housewise and OH as well. I know people all over the place are flooded out. I was very glad to get the garden partway sorted.

I wish a better 2016 for you and OH Dorjac. Cats always seem to choose the people they like to stay with. Sad that the little cat got run over, but with so many cars around it's a risk they take when going out into the street. At least the cats get a bit of love from everyone they visit.

Thanks Lindak. It is strange that another long term visiting cat has sometimes slept in the road in summer. I have seen a car driver get out and shoo her off. One lady went to move her and got a scratch! I saw her out for a walk recently and she is certainly 15 by now and spends most of her time cosseted next door, she is very wary of me.

I am telling you about a 3 year old cat we re-named Twinkle, and she was a rescue cat. We went to have a look at "Gabby" as she was called then. She was a very large Siamese with only one eye, and when she saw us she was all over us, The girl at the centre said she wouldn't go into the basket and she went straight in. She used to visit the neighbours and even the people who didn't like cats loved her. Two weeks after we bought her home we opened our garden and she loved everyone who came, even a dog someone bought in. I trained her to do tricks and sit, stay come heel and walk with me. She was amazing. She died shortly after we moved to the bungalow, but she was very special.